I confess it took me too long to realise that the best way to handle my TI was to get it 100% ready to go while on the trailer, so after launching, it is just park the car in the trailer park and go. Obviously the reverse applies on returning. It is so much easier to work on it while walking around the trailer, rather than wading around

I'm with Tony - when I slide my TI off of the trailer, the only thing left to do is lower the rudder and insert the drives. For loading, reverse the procedure as he also says.

I use the following to tie mine down. That's the type of strap you just pull tight, then press the buckle to release. You only have to loosen it a couple inches to undo the trigger snaps on each side. Quick -n- easy. That's a 4" X 1/4" stainless eye bolt it connects to.

I use the following to tie mine down. That's the type of strap you just pull tight, then press the buckle to release. You only have to loosen it a couple inches to undo the trigger snaps on each side. Quick -n- easy. That's a 4" X 1/4" stainless eye bolt it connects to.

That is a very neat solution. What is the load rating of the spring clips?

A word of caution about the stainless eye bolts that you can buy at the hardware store. They often have no load capacity listed on the label, or a _very_ low one. I suggest going to a larger diameter - 5/16" or 3/8" - or spend extra to get ones with welded eyes. You can put a 1/4" stainless eye bolt in your bench vise and tap it with a hammer, and it will open up.

The AI is pretty light, but you need to consider high transient dynamic stresses, like when the trailer drifts onto the shoulder and drops into a pothole at highway speeds. You want the straps to be your "fuse" on the trailer, not the main attach points. It is far easier to fix a strap or rope that fails than an odd piece of bolted down hardware. This is a good reason to add at least one extra strap, to spread those dynamic stresses and keep the load in place if one should fail.

If you use motorcycle type straps (hooks at each end), you can saw out the steel hooks and add stainless caribiners. They can't hop out of the attach point the way a hook can (and will). You can leave the hooks in place and just add the caribiners, but the hooks will rattle and drive you nuts.

I have no idea what anything in the system is rated for. The straps are "hand pull" tightened, not ratcheted.

All I can say is that's the way I've done it since it was new and all is fine

You are a gambler then? Here is a similar hook from Home Depot. It has a safe load rating of only 40 (!!!) pounds. While I expect your straps have a higher rating, it would be a good idea to verify what that rating is, and go to a different hook type if they are rated at less than 300 pounds. You don't need the swivel feature, and the trigger snap hook is the weak point. That kind of hook is typically used on no-load applications like a luggage shoulder strap.

Not at all - that's why I have safety lines to keep the akas in place if the clips fail, double ama bungees, triple trailer cradles, use Goretex dry suits, have a Torqeedo T1003 w/ 2 batteries either mounted or stowed in the hull etc etc. I didn't have any worries at all about my tie down system unit your post.

John E Davies wrote:

You don't need the swivel feature

I don't "need" a lot of things that I have, but the swivel feature is part of what makes these so convenient so I do want it.

There is no load rating listed where I bought these snaps, but I found another listing for a smaller version that was rated for 110 pounds. Although they seem extremely sturdy you made me second guess if they were strong enough .... I just strung one up, swang around on it bouncing my weight up and down on it as hard as I could trying to break it and could not. IMHO that's strong enough for this application by a long shot. I once again have no worries with my tie down system.

I wouldn't use a Home Depot snap either, these are sold by a scuba supply shop made out of brass w/stainless spring so they will hold up under marine use.